Meet the Journalist: Beth Gardiner

Poland is among the most coal-dependent nations in Europe, and its leaders are the fuel’s staunchest defenders whenever European Union negotiators discuss new environmental rules. In wintertime, many Poles burn coal to heat their homes, creating a foul fog that sits over Polish cities for months on end, poisoning lungs and adding to Poland’s severe air pollution problem. Pulitzer Center grantee Beth Gardiner discusses her reporting from Poland, where the reliance on coal has resulted in a severe public health crisis that results in the premature deaths of about 4,500 people each year.